Omni William Penn Hotel Facts for Kids

Hotel facts and statistics
Omni William Penn Hotel
Quick facts for kids Exterior view of the Penn

Location	530 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°26′26″N 79°59′48″W / 40.4406°N 79.9966°W / 40.4406; -79.9966
Opening date	March 9, 1916 (Annex added in 1929) (modernized 1984)
Developer	Henry Clay Frick
Architect	Janssen & Abbott (1929 annex by Janssen & Cocken)
Management	Omni Hotels
Owner	Omni Hotels
No. of restaurants	3
No. of rooms	1600 in 1929 602 presently
Parking	Valet Parking
No. of floors	23

The Omni William Penn Hotel is a famous hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It has 23 floors above ground and 3 floors underground. Many important people have stayed there, including former US President John F. Kennedy.

The hotel staff even helped create Lawrence Welk's famous bubble machine! Also, Bob Hope proposed to his wife there in 1934. The Omni William Penn Hotel has won many awards. It is also a member of Historic Hotels of America. This is a special program by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The hotel has a great restaurant called the Terrace Room. It opened in 1916. It features a large mural called "The taking of Fort Pitt." The Terrace Room was voted "Best Hotel Dining" in 2008 and 2009. The hotel is decorated with many beautiful Art Deco style furnishings.

Hotel History: A Grand Beginning
- Who Owned the Hotel?
- Famous Events and Guests
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Hotel History: A Grand Beginning

The William Penn Hotel was built between 1915 and 1916. It cost $6 million to build. It opened on March 11, 1916. Newspapers called it the "Grandest Hotel in the nation." On its first night, it hosted a huge gala for the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. The US Secretary of State, Philander Knox, was the host. The original hotel was on the western side of the block, facing Mellon Square.

Who Owned the Hotel?

The Eppley Hotel Company bought the hotel in 1928. Its owner, Eugene Eppley, paid for a big expansion in 1929. This made the William Penn the second largest hotel in the world! It grew to have 1600 rooms. A famous designer named Joseph Urban created a beautiful ballroom on top of the hotel.

However, Eppley lost control of the hotel during the Great Depression. From 1940 to 1951, Statler Hotels managed it. Eppley got the hotel back in 1952. In 1956, the hotel was sold to the Sheraton Corporation. This was one of the biggest hotel sales in US history. The hotel was then renamed the Penn-Sheraton Hotel.

In 1968, Sheraton sold the hotel to a group of local investors. It went back to its original name, the William Penn. Because fewer people needed hotel rooms, they reduced the number of rooms. Some unused rooms became dorms for Duquesne University. In 1971, Alcoa bought the hotel.

In 1984, Westin Hotels began managing the hotel. It became the Westin William Penn. They spent $20 million to update it. The number of rooms changed from 840 to 650. Finally, in 2001, Omni Hotels & Resorts bought the hotel. It was renamed the Omni William Penn.

Famous Events and Guests

The Omni William Penn Hotel has hosted many important events and people:

November 10, 1921: A special dinner for Marshal Foch, a French military leader.
April 28, 1930: The Gideon Society held its 50th meeting there. They gave out over 500 Bibles.
October 2, 1930: The Institute of Transportation Engineers was created at a meeting in the hotel.
October 17, 1930: A celebration for the opening of the Lincoln Highway in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
November 3, 1930: President Herbert Hoover released a statement at a party celebrating KDKA-AM radio's 10th anniversary.
January to February, 1937: The famous musician Count Basie and his orchestra played at the "Chatterbox."
March 26, 1938: The plan for Point State Park and the "Pittsburgh Renaissance" was announced.
July 17, 1942: The United Steelworkers held a big meeting about steel needs during World War II.
November 2, 1944: Vice President Harry S. Truman gave a speech.
January 15, 1948: Secretary of State George Marshall gave a speech that was broadcast across the country. He also said he would not run for president.
February 15, 1950: The first annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy was held.
December 6, 1954: Many old businesses, schools, and hospitals were honored at a gala.
October 8–9, 1956: Presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower both stayed at the hotel during their election campaigns.
November 1, 1956: Adlai Stevenson II, Richard Nixon, and Pat Nixon stayed the night.
September 3–5, 1960: The 18th World Science Fiction Convention took place.
September 21, 1963: Lyndon B. Johnson gave a major speech and stayed in the presidential suite.
April 3, 1970: The Zoo president spoke at a meeting with animals like an elephant and a llama!
September 3, 1980: Maureen Reagan campaigned for her father, Ronald Reagan.
October 31, 1980: Ronald Reagan visited for a speech.
April 5, 1984: Walter Mondale spoke at a reception.
June 20–22, 1999: The 2nd International Trails & Greenways Conference was held.